


How Many People Can One Man Be?

by DigitalThespian



Series: Permutations [5]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Art, Character Study, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Minor Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Second Chances, Tension, Threats of Violence, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28316511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: The new farmer was eccentric, and cagey, and Leah wasn't sure what to make of him...Also he was cute, but that was neither here nor there.
Relationships: Leah/Male Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Permutations [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073213
Kudos: 8





	How Many People Can One Man Be?

**Author's Note:**

> And the train of fics continues!
> 
> Let me know if I missed any tags!

Maru looked around frantically. "What..? No, no no, this can't be happening, this has to be a dream." She leapt out of bed, throwing open the door to her workshop—

—only to see the framework of MarILDA exactly as she had been.. three years ago.

Nothing of Kaleb's was there. Everything they did, everything they'd shared.. gone. Like it never happened.

She threw on the first outfit she could find and left the house to find Abigail; she knew about magic—because what _else_ could it be?

* * *

"Maru? What—"

"Hey, mom, I need to borrow Abigail for a bit, I have a new theory."

Robin blinked. "Oh—alright." She exchanged a glance with Abigail—they knew what this meant, and they been _pretty_ sure she would Remember; but they hadn't expected her to be quite this aggressive.

"Alright; lead the way, Maru."

She followed Maru to the shore of the mountain lake. "Alright, this is gonna sound weird—"

"But you think you just went three years back in time."

"—but I think I— _WHAT!?_ " Maru began to panic. "No no no, this can't be real."

Abigail held out her hands, trying to calm Maru down. "Hey.. this isn't like you, easy."

Maru took a deep breath. "..You're right." She nodded, looking at Abigail seriously. "Okay; bring me up to speed."

"This is the fourth time. The loop is three years long, Kaleb doesn't Remember, and he _cannot_ find out. I was zero, Emily was two, you were last time, so three."

"What about one?"

"He died."

"What?!"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That—that's fair, I don't—really want to hear about that." Maru shivered. "..What am I gonna _do_ , Abigail..? He—less than an hour ago to me, he was my husband, and now he's a _stranger_?"

"I know how you feel."

"Wait, you—"

"We think we Remember because we fell in love with him. I was going to marry him the day of the first loop; Emily was just dating him."

Maru slowly held out her arms, giving Abigail a hug. "You.. God, Abigail.. I'm so sorry.."

"It's alright.. I've.. had some time. Nine years."

"..Oh, you're.. actually thirty, then, huh?"

"Thirty-three—I was twenty-four at the start of the first loop, since I was loop zero. But yeah; that's why I was suddenly so different."

"That's.. wow, I don't even know what to say.."

"I mean, 'wow, Abigail, you're super hot for a thirty-three-year-old' is acceptable."

Maru laughed. "Oh my god." She stepped back, wiping her eyes. "..Thanks. I needed that."

* * *

Leah cast a sidelong glance at Kaleb. "So, you just.. decided to get away from it all, huh?"

He snorted. "Something like that. What about you?"

She nodded vaguely in affirmation. "Something like that." There were a few moments of silence. "So I can't help but notice someone keeps leaving a leek leaned up against my house now and again."

He didn't react, and his tone betrayed nothing."Huh; really? That's kinda odd."

Leah was confused. She could have _sworn_ it was him.. "Yeah. I mean, free food, so I can't complain, plus I actually really like leeks."

"I thought I remembered you mentioning that; I'll keep bringing them by, then."

She started. "Wait, it _is_ you?!"

He nodded easily, not looking up from the row he was tilling. "Yep."

"But you sounded so surprised!"

He shrugged. "I was surprised you actually brought it up, so I just channeled that. Glad you like them. I figured it would be strange but harmless at worst."

"You're _so_ weird."

"It's a gift." She stared at him a moment, and he finally paused, looking over. "You alright?"

"CanIhaveyournumber?" Leah flushed. _Why did she say that?!_

"Huh?" He was taken aback. "Well shit, I would have told you it was me a lot sooner if I'd known _that_ would be your reaction."

"Oh! Uh.."

"Here." He held his phone out and she typed in her number. She got a message a few moments later, but didn't check until she got home.

Unknown: "Cute Artist", huh?

Leah: Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking..

Leek Boy: Oh, no, I'm keeping the contact. It's true, after all.

Leah: How do you know? I could be lying about being an artist.

Leek Boy: I guess you'll have to show me something sometime, then. I look forward to it, Ms. Artist.

Leah: Please, Ms. Artist is my mother; my friends call me Cutie.

Leek Boy: 10/10; consider it done. Catch you around, Cutie.

Leah blushed furiously.

Oh no. She had it bad.

* * *

"Are you going to paint me like one of your French girls?"

Kaleb was sprawled dramatically on the ground, and Leah snorted. "Is that your way of offering to model nude?"

He winked, a smug grin on his face. "It can be."

She stared at him critically. "..alright. Sure."

He blinked. "Wait, seriously? Shit, alright. I was just being my usual insufferable self, I expected an eye roll, but if you need a model it doesn't bother me."

"I don't get you sometimes."

"Why? I feel like that was a pretty typical Kaleb situation."

"Yeah, but you forget that none of us are _you_."

"Well, yeah, but my default setting is 'fuckin' weird'."

She snorted. "You can say that again." He opened his mouth, but her hand shot out to point at him. "You know what I meant, you little shit." It closed, and she allowed herself a small smile.

Then he said something odd. "That one. _That_ smile. You asked the other day what I was talking about when I said you have this one smile that I think really embodies _Leah_."

She blinked. "Uh.."

" _That_ was it. How did you feel, in that moment?"

"This is.. not your usual type of question."

He gave her an amused look. "Oh come on, you're friends with Elliot, you should be used to weird author questions."

"You write?" She raised a brow. "I had no idea."

He started slightly. "Oh—did I really never mention that?"

She shook her head slightly. "No, you didn't."

"Whoops. Before I forget, though, my question stands."

"Um.." She blushed. "Self-satisfied. I don't 'win' exchanges with you very often."

"Hmm.." He thought a moment. "So maybe.. confident, content, little bit of pride, little bit of smugness?"

"I—yeah, almost that exactly; god, how do you _do_ that?"

"Context, personality. A lot goes into it." He tilted his head side-to-side, mulling over how to explain. "You were embarrassed, so it wasn't entirely 'wholesome'—though for the record I fully support you feeling smug about whatever you damn well please—but it was a very calm smile, it wasn't like, a 'ha, in your face!' kinda smile, it was a 'Mary Poppins quietly enjoying her victory' sort of deal."

"..did you just compare me to _Mary Poppins_?"

"Should I not have?"

".. _why_?"

"You're both like, beautiful, mysterious, unknowable creatures?"

" _Beautiful_?"

"I mean, it's _Julie Andrews_ , so.."

Leah was growing increasingly flustered. "Wha—did you just imply I'm _more attractive_ than Julie Andrews?!"

Kaleb seemed genuinely confused by her response, which only made her _even more_ flustered. "Yeah? You _are_."

" _How_."

Kaleb gestured vaguely. "Yeah, she looks great, but she also has two hours prep and an entire set design, costume design, and lighting team behind her." He shrugged. "Think about it; the lighting is flattering literally all the time, her outfit is always perfect—or perfectly disheveled—she's always perfectly framed; like, it's Julie Andrews, you're not gonna put her in a movie and _not_ make the most of it."

"..huh, I hadn't actually thought about that.. like, I _knew_ it, but I'd never thought about the _implications_ somehow, you know?"

* * *

Leah shot Kaleb a sidelong glance. "Did you just call me 'flower child'?"

"Yep."

" _Rude_." Despite her admonishment, Leah still couldn't bring herself to be _too_ mad.

Kaleb shot her a wink. "What, are you saying you _aren't_ some sort of ethereal being born of nature spirits and the manifested concept of artistry?"

She put her hands on her hips. "That is _not_ what you were saying and we both know it."

"Why, Cutie, you wound me, I would _never_ besmirch your honor so."

"You're so full of shit, you know that?" Leah smiled despite herself. "Also I can't believe you _still_ call me that, that was like, a _year_ ago."

"I'll stop calling you it when it stops being true."

Leah was quiet a moment. "Kaleb?"

"Whoa, that's the Serious Leah voice." He sat up, and in an instant, all traces of his previous lackadaisical demeanor had vanished. "What's up?"

She blinked, then shook her head with a smile. "And then you do things like that." She awkwardly shuffled over to him on the blanket that served as Leah's 'Forward Artpost', as he had nicknamed it. She looked at him seriously. "Stop me if you want to, okay?"

"What? Stop you from doing— _mmpf_!" He cut off as Leah took him by the cheek, kissing him soundly. He relaxed after a moment, lacing the fingers of one hand into her hair and letting himself tip backward, pulling her down with him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist.

After a few long moments, she pulled away enough to look at him. "I've wanted to do that for a _long_ time now."

"Fuck, I've been doing my weird deliberately awkward joke flirting thing because I thought I didn't have a chance in hell at actually being with you, but I can't help myself around you, so it was my only shot to not make things _super_ weird," he mumbled.

"You thought you didn't have a chance with _me_?! I've had a crush on you since I asked for your number! How did you not notice!?"

"..I'm actually not nearly as smooth as I make myself out to be. I'm honestly really awkward. I just act like I'm not because it makes me feel better, and I like making people laugh, but being awkward usually just makes them uncomfortable." He paused. "I mean.. _Clint_."

Leah laughed incredulously. " _Kaleb_! That's so _mean_!"

"I'm not wrong though, am I?! He _is_! I want to like the guy, but like.. _dude_ , get it _together_ , you are _miserable_ and you will _continue_ to be miserable until you just _ask_."

"Ohh, right.. Emily."

"Yeah. But that's beside the point, we're getting distracted."

"Huh? From what?"

"Uh, hello? You just kissed the _hell_ out of me, and it was _awesome_ , but we do need to like, talk about that."

"Oh, right.." She blushed, looking away.

"Hey." She looked at him shyly. "C'mon, Flower Child, you mustered up the guts to smooch me out of the blue, you got this, it's just talking to a guy who's already _nuts_ about you."

"Are you really..? I feel like I can never tell with you."

"And I'm.. I'm sorry about that. It's a defense mechanism I still haven't kicked yet; to put up the smoke and mirrors to make people think I'm in control of the situation—even trick _myself_. But that doesn't make it okay. I deceived you, even if it was relatively harmless, so.. I'm sorry." He looked her in the eyes. "So here's the unvarnished truth; Leah, I am absolutely crazy about you, and I want to date you. You're talented, and funny, and frankly I'm sort of intimidated by how pretty you are. I know that sounds weird, but there it is. It's why my gut reaction was to act the way I did. It was like.. I needed to avoid showing weakness, I couldn't let you find out that you could _ruin_ me without even _trying_."

"Oh my god, Kaleb." She stared in amazement. "This is like.. You're like a different _person_."

He winced. "I get it if this isn't the guy you thought you were getting.."

"He's not, but that's fine, because I like this one better anyway," she breathed. "God, Kaleb, you are the cutest boy alive."

"H-Huh?!"

"Did you just _stutter_?!"

"You can't prove anything.." He looked away petulantly, face red.

"Alright, that's it, I'm taking you home with me."

"At least buy me dinne—" He cut off, taking a deep breath. "..yeah. Take me home, Leah. I'd.. I'd like that."

"God, I'm in love."

"Good, that means it's not just me." His face was crimson.

" _OH_ wow, it's somehow even _more_ endearing when you're genuinely smooth."

He groaned, and her brow furrowed in confusion. He looked up at the sky with a resigned expression. "Abigail is going to tease me about being totally whipped until the day I _die_."

"I think you secretly like it though." She smirked, tapping him on the nose.

"Mm; need to be more careful then, can't be letting those old habits come back."

"Are you saying you admit you like it?"

"I mean.. Yeah, kinda. Why do you think I pulled you down on top of me, not the other way around? I knew you were interested, you _started_ it."

"That's.. actually really cute." She smiled gently. "Who knew; the brash, iron-willed farmer is a soft, sweet little thing for his girlfriend."

"I like hearing you call yourself that. That's.. _really_ nice."

"Well, come on, Leek Boyfriend, help your girlfriend pack up the Forward Artpost."

"Oh my god am I still in your phone as Leek Boy that's fucking _golden_."

"Well, it's about to be Leek Boyfriend, so."

"I'm down. I did win your attention by mysteriously leaving leeks outside your house, which in hindsight is going to be one of _those_ stories at parties; 'Oh, how did you meet?' ' _Well_ , you see..'" He grinned.

Their laughter echoed through the forest.

* * *

Emily held Maru, and Abigail patted her on the back gently. " _I'm so sorry_ , is this what it was like for you..?" Maru whispered.

"It gets easier, I promise," Emily murmured.

"Yeah. Though I'll be honest, a lot of how I dealt with it was just telling myself it was going to reset anyway, so I'd have another chance for him to fall in love with me again."

Emily laughed. " _Rude_."

Abigail shrugged. "Sorry, not sorry. You know me by now."

"I can't really judge, considering how mine went.."

"Yeah, Emily and I both about decked you, actually, the only thing that saved you was the fact that we couldn't let on about the loops."

"Wait, you too, Emily? I understand Abigail, but didn't _you_ tell him to _marry_ me?!"

"Yeah, _after_ he showed me the book." Emily hugged her tighter. "And then I knew you would be good to him, and own up to when you weren't and all was forgiven." She paused. "But yes, there _were_ a few moments of unbridled rage."

* * *

"So, what do you think?"

"I think you've got a really solid premise; you've got an inciting incident—the rescue—and you've got a good way to maintain tension—his outings conflicting with his princely duties—but you need an event to push towards a resolution."

"Do you feel I am meandering too much?"

"Not necessarily, but you eventually will at this rate. You're trapped in an episodic format, kinda. They're all wonderful scenes, but there's no _narrative_ momentum being built, only romantic tension. Which _is_ essential, so like, totally nailed that part. I have a suggestion, if you'd like; I won't say until you decide, cause you can't un-hear ideas."

"I am open to hearing it; your advice has proved very useful thus far, and I have no reason to believe it will be otherwise in this case."

"If you don't mind a little cliché, you could always have the attendant confide in the vigilante that he needs advice, because he's fallen for someone he can't have." Kaleb shrugged. "From there you can go all sorts of ways; says it directly, like 'you already know I'm the prince's attendant; I'm in love with the prince, which I cannot be,' or just being vague and you play the whole game of the vigilante trying to discover who the attendant likes without actually _asking_ , and you've also got the angle of the vigilante maybe _backing off_ as the prince, thinking he would be in the way, or trying to figure out how to tell the attendant without revealing that he's essentially been tricking him into sharing personal information—even if that was not at _all_ his intent."

Elliot's eyes were wide, and Kaleb smiled to himself when he saw that tell-tale twitch of Elliot's fingers. "The possibilities unfold before me."

"Go write, Kwisatz Haderach." Elliot rose from his chair, virtually dashing out of the room.

" _Nerd_ ," Abigail called across the bar.

Kaleb stuck his tongue out, and Leah laughed. "I'm glad you and Elliot get along so well."

"Heck yeah, appreciates my craft, has kick-ass hair, good sense of style; what's not to like?"

"I think the clothes and the mannerisms are off-putting for most people."

"Well, most people suck, so there."

"You are such a _child_."

"I protest only on the grounds that it would be weird to date a twenty-three year old artist if I was."

"Kaleb—you _had_ to make it weird."

"That is my default setting, yes. You brought this on yourself when you said you liked awkward Kaleb more then faux-suave Kaleb."

"I guess I did. I can live with that." She kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed.

* * *

"Hey, I brought a bottle of wine I thought you'd like to try."

"Oh! That's so sweet, thanks, Kaleb!" She wiped her hands on a cloth, rinsing off her brush.

He popped the cork out of the bottle, pouring her a glass before giving her an exaggerated bow. "Madame."

"You're a dork." She swirled the glass, sniffing curiously. "Oh wow, this is really different." She took a sip, and her eyes widened. "Oh my _god_ , you _have_ to tell me where you got this." She looked at him incredulously after a moment. "Wait, this is familiar; is this _starfruit_ wine?!"

"Oh, I'm glad you like it so much! It's for you, after all."

"I—I can't just _take_ this, this must have cost a fortune!"

"Didn't cost me a damn thing." He beamed, obviously very proud.

"How'd you manage _that_?!"

"Because I got it from the Sanctuary Farms Winery, which is actually just my shed, but shh."

"You _made_ this? Kaleb, this is incredible!"

"I'm so happy you think so. And there'll be more where that came from, just you wait."

"Kaleb, you don't have to do this; you know I like you for _you_ , right?"

Kaleb grinned mischievously. "Let me spoil my artisté girlfriend." He sobered. "Unless you actually feel uncomfortable, then I won't, I just.. I have the means and the know-how to make you nice things, and frankly, you're right, this stuff _is_ a fortune; which means I can _absolutely_ afford to spare a nice bottle for someone I care about very much, _especially_ someone who appreciates wine like you do."

She walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "I appreciate it, really, I just feel like between the two of us I'm not contributing much.."

He hugged her back. "Even if that _were_ true—and it's _not_ —but if it were, you also don't exactly 'cost' me anything. I actually can't remember the last time you _asked_ me for something, I just show up unprompted like 'here have a thing,'" He pulled away enough to kiss the tip of her nose. "But don't sell yourself short. I love what you do. It's so incredible to see you draw life and beauty out of a block of wood, or from splotches of paint on a palette. I became a different _person_ when I started writing. Art is what makes us feel, what makes us _ponder_ ; and you know what? I was going to say something like 'I want to be there to see you make your mark on the world', but I won't, because you already have. You've inspired Elliot and I countless times, you've encouraged me to live my dreams just as I've encouraged you to live yours. You taught me that while it's not my greatest talent, not by a long shot.. I can still draw, or paint. And if you ask me, those things that can't be bought are a greater contribution than anything I could grow on the farm. Wine is a sort of artistry, but it's still not quite the same. If I look at a painting, it's still there, and thousands of others can derive an emotional experience from it too. Once we finish this bottle, it'll be gone. Not to say that isn't worthwhile, and if you aren't planning on it, I'm absolutely keeping the bottle—once it's empty—because it's the first bottle I ever made, and I got to share it with you."

"I—There was so much there, I don't know what to say." Leah was speechless.

Kaleb chuckled. "Sorry, that _was_ a lot; do you want the summary points to respond, or is your speechlessness response enough?"

"..Summary, please, I had things, I just.."

"I get it. Point one: You're not a burden, stop acting like one, because in my eyes what you bring to the table is so much more than what I do. I'm not saying my contributions are bad, just that you are more than 'pulling your weight', insofar as that's a thing I even care about."

"..Thanks. I guess I just.." She trailed off, thinking a long moment.

"..Kel?"

She nodded after a moment. "..Kel. She.. Kinda fucked me up, if I'm being honest.."

Kaleb did his best to hide the sneer threatening to form. "Well, she clearly doesn't know what she had. And she clearly doesn't understand that there's more to life than structure, money, _things_."

"But.. at the end of the day, isn't that what art is? Things?"

"If we both make a sculpture of the same thing, and if—bear with my flight of fancy here—and mine was somehow identical to yours; did we make the same thing?"

"Wha—" She thought a moment. "I mean, I want to say no, but.."

"And I would agree with you. They wouldn't be the same. Why?"

"..Because they're more than the physical form they take."

"Exactly. I guarantee that even if they were visually identical somehow, mine would carry significantly more frustration and tension than yours; because me making something like what _you_ make would be a herculean effort of willpower and patience. And you know what? Taking that a step further, if someone said they could replace a sculpture with a perfectly identical copy—that would never degrade and couldn't be damaged—and they offered to do that with 'How I Feel About Kaleb'? I'd say no, because _you_ made that for me. And yeah, it's wood, so _eventually_ something might happen to it, and sure, _technically_ there'd be no way to tell.. but _I'd_ know. It wouldn't be the same. You may have made a physical thing when you made that piece; but that thing is the _expression_ , the _result_ of the time, and effort, and passion that went into it. But without those things, it would be an intricately carved, lifeless doorstop."

"Thanks. That's.. that makes me really happy to hear, actually. I'm glad you feel that kind of connection to it; it's why I made it for you."

"And I love it. It's like.. the _only_ decoration in my entire house that isn't like, a sentimental knick-knack on a shelf. But before I go off on another tangent; point two, which we sort of just rehashed: Your art is something beautiful that has given countless people the chance to _feel_ something."

"..Countless?" She raised an eyebrow. "I think you're exaggerating."

"I mean, a fair assumption, given my tendencies, but you've inspired Elliot and I many times, and I know at least I've gone on to write things based on the things your art made me feel, in one way or another. And if anyone who read those works of ours was inspired.."

"Oh, you mean like.. adding to the collective human experience."

"Exactly. And I'll be honest, Leah, a lot of people spend their lives chasing after that goal with no idea of how to get there. The trick is to be _human_." He smiled gently. "And that's something you're good at. And finally; the experiences I've gotten to share with you are something I will cherish forever, and that's something that can't ever be replaced, or bought, or shared. It's why I want to keep the bottle, if you don't. I'll put it on my mantle, and when people point to it and say 'what's that?' I'll tell them the story of how I shared the first bottle of wine I ever made with the woman I love."

"Well now you _have_ to take it." She blinked back tears. "That was so damn cute, Kaleb."

"I want you to have it, if you want it. If you want to be the one to tell that story, nothing would make me happier. It doesn't take anything from me, my story just becomes 'yeah, I started a long time ago with just a single bottle that I shared with someone very important to me; and she still has it to this day.'"

"..Okay." She nodded. "Then I'd like to keep it. I.. actually think I might make it into something, if that's okay..?"

He beamed. "Even better. An honor, really."

* * *

Leah shifted nervously, standing in the pavilion surrounded by strangers. Kaleb walked up and presented a bottle to her. She tilted her head."What's this?"

"This, my dear Flower Child, is the first bottle of the Sanctuary Farms Winery's two-season starfruit wine. To celebrate your success. I wanted to share the first bottle with you, and now I want to share the first vintage with you."

She stared at it. "This is the big secret project you've been keeping all hush-hush in the cellar?"

He smiled. "Yep. It's the first of three; they'll be ready in a few weeks, and then about a season after that, I'll put the first full batch on the market."

"How many are in a batch?"

He grinned. "One hundred eighty-nine. I had to rig up a two-axis crane—kinda like a claw machine—in order to actually get to them, since there's literally zero remaining floor space. I'm pretty proud of the design. So from here out, just shy of two hundred every two seasons."

"Oh my god, Kaleb, that's _incredible_!"

He shrugged. "I like doing it, and I like writing; for the most part all I have to do is harvest the starfruit two times a summer, then chuck a bunch in kegs, then when the next vintage is ready, I refill the casks and go back to my art. The money isn't about the _money_ ; it's about the freedom. Grandpa gave me the land, so I'm gonna use it to fund my passion. And if you ever need it—though based on how many people I've overheard asking when the _bidding starts_ , you're not going to—but if you do, I've got your back."

" _Bidding!?_ People think this is an auction?!"

"I've heard a couple petty squabbles involving throwing numbers at each other in a 'don't bother, if you're not willing to pay X amount you may as well just go home, because I _will_ make her a better offer,' sort of pissing contest."

"..I'm almost afraid to ask, but.. how much?"

"Let's just say I am no longer the artisan in the valley who creates the most expensive products by unit any more. Not even _close_ , and I'm expecting a little more than six thousand for that bottle you're holding there."

"They're offering more than six _thousand_?"

" _Way_ more. Economies of scale work both ways, babe. Supply and demand. You are only one artist, and there is a _lot_ of demand, it would seem. Plus, as cynical as it is, rich people like exclusive things. 'I possess this thing, which is the only one of its kind,' type stuff."

An old woman in a grey and blue peacoat walked over, looking the two of us over. "Ah, excellent; young man, if you would be so kind as to assist me, there seems to be a.. ah, _disagreement_ , between myself and another patron, and I would like an official resolution."

Leah gawked at her a moment, in shock, then began to protest. "Um—"

Kaleb stepped forward slightly, head held high, and Leah was shocked for the second time in as many moments. _He practically turned into someone else in the blink of an eye!_

"Just a moment, ma'am, I was just speaking with Leah to resolve another such dispute; may I request you allow us a few moments more to finish our discussion? We take our customers' privacy very seriously, after all."

"Ah, yes, of course. It is good to see you young folk upholding good standards of business."

"And it pleases me to hear you say so." He bowed slightly, then turned away, leaning in close to Leah as his persona fell away. "I can handle this, no problem; I really just wanted to check to make sure I wasn't speaking for you—more than I just did already, but you know."

"She just implied you're like, my butler or something!"

"You _are_ holding a bottle of wine that I just handed you, and I do kinda look at you like you hung the moon, so.."

"I mean.. I don't wanna make you do anything."

"Oh, babe; I was _born_ for this. This is like, the one place it's acceptable to put my talents for reading people to their full use. Sales." He grinned. "I've been told I'm pretty good at it, as long as I actually believe in what I'm selling, and it's hard to find something I believe in more than you."

"..Go nuts, then, I guess?"

"You got it. Be right back, hon." He turned back around, his demeanor changing once again. "Thank you ever so much; if you would be so kind as to lead the way, I would be more than happy to assist you."

Leah watched him go, flabbergasted. Maru walked over, looking at him. "Oh, is he doing the customer service voice?"

"You _could_ call it that, the same way you could call a french maid a _cleaning lady_." Leah shook her head in disbelief.

"Huh?"

"Did _you_ know he could do the high-society merchant thing?!"

"Whoa, really? This I've gotta see." Maru began to walk after them, and Leah cursed under her breath, hurrying after.

"..and this _hag_ has the nerve to claim that just because she has an art collection she's more worthy of such a piece!" There was a man in a yellow smoking jacket with a haughty expression on his face, gesturing with his pipe.

"Oh shit, Kaleb's gonna _clock_ someone," Maru muttered.

"He _said_ he could handle it.." Leah murmured back, though she had her doubts.

"I said no such thing! I simply said I had the experience and discernment necessary to truly appreciate it, thank you."

"Well, it seems this was just a simple misunderstanding, then—"

"So you're saying I have no taste, is that it?" The man leered down at the shorter woman, who glared back.

"You behavior would certainly suggest that to be the case!"

Kaleb sighed. "Excuse me, if you would be willing to listen a moment—"

"And _your_ behavior suggests you've never worked a day in your life!"

Maru and Leah were beginning to look increasingly worried. "Should we step in..?"

"Very well; the old fashioned way then." Kaleb stepped in-between them, holding a hand up on either side.

"Why—the nerve!"

"And you were so polite before! I'm disappointed."

He gave her a cold look, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Miss Leah is a busy woman; surely you understand. Since you two cannot agree, we will resort to the tried-and-true. Here is your requested official resolution: Bidding starts at ten thousand; if you continue to argue, you will be asked to leave."

Leah and Maru were floored. Leah shook her head. "There's no way. I respect what he's trying to do here, but—"

"Pah! So be it!" The man turned to Kaleb with a decisive nod. "Ten thousand it is."

"Eleven." The woman glared over at her rival challengingly.

Kaleb's voice was calm, factual. "We have eleven; do I hear twelve?"

The man looked back down with a sneer. "Indeed you do."

"Fifteen," the woman shot back.

Leah was staring in complete disbelief, mouth hanging open. "There's no way, this is _not_ happening."

"If it were anyone but Kaleb, but he's never failed to surprise me yet."

"Seventeen."

"Twenty."

"Twenty thousand, do I hear twenty-three?" He spoke a little louder, and a crowd began to form.

Now faced with an audience, the two aristocrats doubled down. "Indeed you _do_!"

This continued for a tense minute; finally there was a lull. Kaleb spoke up again. "Fifty-seven; do I hear sixty?"

The man hesitated before twisting his mouth and letting out a huff. "..No. I concede. The piece is yours."

The woman smiled triumphantly. "Thank you, good sir." He walked away, and the woman took out a checkbook, writing in it. "And this is to Leah..?"

"Carter," Kaleb supplied smoothly.

"Thank you, young man. Your help has been most appreciated; I will be sure to recommend your services to my friends, should they be in need of them."

"You're very kind, madam; do have a wonderful day, and don't hesitate to let me know if you need _anything_ else."

"I will certainly do so! Good day." She walked away, clutching the ticket for the sculpture in question, and Kaleb bowed his head as she passed. As soon as she was gone, he grinned widely, walking over to Leah and handing her the check. "Miss Leah Carter; I believe this is yours."

She took it with shaky hands, staring down at it. "To Leah Carter, pay the amount of.. fifty-seven _thousand_ goldferns." She looked up at Kaleb. "I don't know what to say, this is.. I never could have done this without you."

He smirked. "Maybe not playing them against each other and the crowd, but the fact remains that she was willing to pay that to begin with."

"I feel like I owe you at least _part_ of this, I'm making off like a _bandit_ here."

"Don't sell yourself short. And I don't care about the money, remember? I'm good on that front."

"You said you were only making a little over six thousand, though, that's.."

"..Leah, that's for _that bottle_ , I have almost two _hundred_ on the way."

She gaped at him. "..you _did_ say six thousand _per bottle_ , didn't you..?"

"Yeah, it comes out to just over a million for the whole cellar, I think. That's assuming I don't gain a reputation, if I do that'll go up. Or down, if someone famous slams me in a review, but eh."

"..Okay, I don't feel bad anymore."

He grinned, bumping his shoulder into hers, "Yeah, attagirl!"

A young man in a blue polo and teal boating shorts walked over. "Excuse me, you're the auctioneer, correct?"

Kaleb suppressed a laugh as Leah stared at the newcomer; both for what he said, and because why would you mix those shades of blue, just _why_ —

"Indeed I am! I was just wrapping up here; this is a more freeform auction, it's important to us that interested parties are all present before a given piece is sold. Not the typical way of things, but then again.." Kaleb leaned in conspiratorially with a mischievous smile. "No one ever got anywhere in the art world by being _typical_."

The man laughed. "Well said! I'm interested in purchasing number six, and so are a few others."

"Well, let's see if we can't get things started!" He strode over to the podium where Leah had given her speech, hopping up. He clapped his hands twice, calling out over the crowd. "If I might have your attention please! Any attendees interested in item number six, bidding will begin in three minutes!"

"This is unbelievable; is there _anything_ this man can't do?"

Abigail walked over. "Yeah, he can't calm the fuck down, for one."

Maru nodded. "True. He also isn't particularly good at thinking before he acts."

"Are you telling me he's _improvising_ right now?"

"Oh, absolutely, look at his eyes; he's got that look he gets when 'the game is afoot'." Abigail snorted. "Fuckin' nerd."

"You can say that again."

Leah looked at the two strangely. "I didn't realize you two knew him so well."

They looked at her, smiling wryly. "You weren't the only one who wanted him." Abigail responded.

"..Oh. That.. explains why you two were looking at me funny for a few weeks there, huh?"

"Yeah. Emily too."

" _Really_?"

"Yeah, she's got it bad for that boy. We all do; so welcome to the club, I guess. We're not mad, don't worry. He's happy, and he's living his best life. And he helps us do the same; how many people can say that about their _boyfriends_ , let alone their _friends_?"

"I.. Guess that's fair."

"Laaadies, gents, and lovers of art-related events!" There was scattered laughter. "The bidding will now begin for item number six! Additionally, I am pleased to announce that we have just received word from the Sanctuary Farms Winery that—contrary to earlier assertions—they _will_ be selling _en primeur_ in select quantities for the first ever vintage of the Sanctuary Starfruit Reserve! This offer will be available to any who have made a purchase at the Pelican Town Art Show, as a thank you for supporting our fair community!"

* * *

Leah stared at the small stack of checks on the table, then looked at Kaleb. "I know you said I would be successful, but I didn't think you meant _six figures_ successful."

"You're a popular lady."

"..Your stunt with the wine pre-orders I think was what _really_ did it."

"Nah, it just pulled some people down off the fence. It gave the people who were already sorta interested a little push by offering an exclusive perk; I actually got approached by a handful of people who weren't interested in paying that much for art, but who still wanted to put in orders for the Sanctuary Starfruit Reserve, and asked me if I could put them in touch with the owner."

"Oh, that's good!"

"Right?" He laughed. "They were _so_ disappointed."

"Wait, you told them _no_?!"

"I mean, yeah, otherwise I would have been lying about the exclusivity thing for the auction, and besides; those people are gonna be lamenting to their drinking buddies about how they missed out for the next two seasons. Considering how today went, I have no doubt that I'm going to be getting a _lot_ of correspondence about this. The business side of wine isn't all that different than the business side of art, in the sense that people want what they can't have, and the people who _do_ have like to brag." He shrugged. "Not always true, but once you get into certain circles it's how it works, and I'm making _starfruit wine_ , which isn't easy to come by to begin with, so I was selling to those people from the start. Arguably this event was even better for me than it was for you, because now I'm a _brand_ , a name people are gonna talk about." He swiped his hands in front of his face, then leaned forward with a warm smile. "But enough about me! Today's about Leah Carter and her spectacular showing at the first Pelican Town Art Show."

"It still doesn't feel real." She stared at the table. "Someone paid a hundred and fifty-three _thousand_ for a sculpture I carved."

"And _that's_ why I say it's you; I'm an unknown as of now, no one is going to pay that just to get a wine they've never heard of—even if it _is_ a rare type, _and_ exclusive. They paid that because what you made spoke to them. Maybe what it said was 'I'm mysterious, and all your friends will be envious'; but that still means they saw that there was something there _to_ see, even if they haven't sussed it out themselves yet. They looked at it, and a part of them deep down said 'that is _art_.'"

"I.. don't know how I feel about that, honestly.. Shouldn't it be about selling it to someone who will really appreciate it for what it is?"

"That's the thing about physical art; when that person sees it, someday, they'll know. And if they have the means, they'll buy it. It doesn't go bad, so even if some posh lady bought it today, if she doesn't appreciate it, she'll either sell it at a different auction, or donate it to a museum."

"A _museum_?! There's no way they would take it!"

"Leah, your lowest selling item today went for fifty-two thousand, and you sold _seven_. Even if you don't believe it yourself yet, there's no denying that you are someone people will be watching. When you look up historical records for this town a hundred years from now, I guarantee this event will be in there, and _your_ name will be on it."

Leah was quiet a moment. "..What if I don't _want_ to be famous..?"

Kaleb thought on this. "Well, did you talk to anyone after the whole auction craze started?"

"Er.. no, I just let you handle that."

"Then maybe Leah Carter will be famous, but no one will have to know that's _you_." He laughed. "Hell, I'm already your spokesman after today, in a way; if you wanted I can handle that side of things, and you can enjoy your peaceful life here with your art."

"You'd really do that?"

"Oh, _absolutely_ , I kinda got you into this on impulse, as I am wont to do."

"Yeah, Abigail said something along those lines."

He laughed. "I bet. But yeah, I got you into this, I owe you that much at minimum. And on top of that, I was actually gonna ask if I could commission a label for the wine; if the winery is partnered with the art show, and you're the patron of the art show, I thought it could be cool to have a 'Leah Carter' label for this vintage to show that it was a community thing. Maybe do like a classic style pencil sketch of Pelican Town with the banners and stuff."

"You want to put _my_ name on it?"

"Only if you want it on there; it would establish the winery as the go-to public point of contact in a very unambiguous way, like, 'hey, if you wanna get in touch with Leah for business reasons you _have_ to do so through Sanctuary,'" he explained.

"That.. actually sounds really nice, if you're okay with that."

"I am more than okay with that, you kidding? I _love_ your work, and I'd love to have you be a part of what seems to be my major introduction to the wine market."

"..I have an idea."

His face lit up. "Go. I'm all ears."

* * *

"Hey, Flower Child, I—oh! A picnic! Aw, this is so cute!"

Leah blushed. "I'm glad you think so." She patted the blanket next to her. "I wanted this to be a special event."

Kaleb's eyes widened, and he grinned ear to ear, jogging over. "Did you finish the label?!"

"You're like a _puppy_."

"Woof," he deadpanned, then went right back to grinning like a madman. "No, seriously though, I'm _so_ excited."

She took out a wedge of cheese, and a familiar bottle of wine, which now bore a label, facing away. "Well, I thought it apropos to debut it like this." She held out the bottle, and Kaleb took it with an expression of awe. "..what do you think?"

It was a three-quarter profile sketch of him, standing on the auction podium in the town square, with a boisterous smile and gesturing widely; down the road the farmhouse was visible, with the tall rows of starfruit stalks visible in the bottom left. "I know they're not a fall crop, but.."

He waved her off, not looking up from the label. "Creative license; also the sketch doesn't denote the season, this could hypothetically be a different event. Also starfruit are my thing, it makes sense to have them on the label, since it's starfruit wine. Avoids confusion." He finally looked up. "This is so much better than anything I could have come up with; I wouldn't have asked to be front and center like this, but I can't deny I'm pleased with the result. I feel like you almost made me look _too_ good."

"Absolutely not; I didn't make you look good _enough_."

"So, this is who the great Leah Carter spends her time with nowadays, huh?"

Leah froze, and Kaleb's posture shifted to allow him to stand quickly if needed. He turned around to see a girl with short, dark hair and a denim jacket. "What do you want, Kel; I told you to leave me alone!"

Kaleb's eyes narrowed. "That's Kel, huh?" He muttered.

"What are you looking at, prick?"

Kaleb started. "Huh? Oh, sorry, were you talking to me? I didn't notice you, my bad. Can I help you?"

"Yeah, you can get lost."

"I'm a farmer, and I live here; I would have to walk for _miles_ to get lost, that's just not practically feasible," he deadpanned.

"Wait, are _you_ that Sanctuary Farms Winery guy? Kaleb or whatever?"

"The one and only. Farmer, vintner, adventurer, and all-around charming guy, at your service."

Kel scoffed. " _Adventurer_? Give me a break."

"Oh, yeah, no, that's not a joke, I've seen some shit. You ever fight a mummy? Bastards'll fuck you _up_." He moved to pull up the hem of his shirt. "Hang on, I think I've got a scar from a Shadow Brute who got a lucky claw swipe in.. yeah, there." He pointed at three parallel lines of scar tissue on his left side, over his ribs. "Hurt like a bitch."

Both Leah and Kel stared in horror, for different reasons. " _ **That's** what that's from..?_" Leah whispered.

Kel, on the other hand.. "What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?"

"I don't follow; the answer is _a lot_ , you're gonna have to be more specific."

"Leah, why are you hanging around this _maniac_?"

"He's better to me than _you_ were!"

"This asshole is your _boyfriend_!?"

"Hey, 'this asshole' has a name, and I'm right here, why you gotta be such a jerk?"

"Stay out of this, it's none of your business."

"Hey, Flower Child, you want me to keep being civil? I can, it's no problem, but like, if it's all the same to you I'd really like to punt her into the river."

"No, Kaleb, we don't need to resort to violence. Thank you for being civil."

"Yeah, I gotcha. Your call, hon."

"You seriously think you could punt me into the river?"

"Yeah, absolutely, are you kidding? You're not a linebacker, and I fight _monsters_ ; well, okay, I used to, I mostly stopped after I got together with Leah, since I didn't want her to have to worry."

"So _that's_ why I didn't know about that," Leah mused.

"Come back to the city."

"Fuck off, Kel; you never appreciated my art before, and now that I'm making money you suddenly want me back? Give me a break."

"What, and he does? He's using you."

"I contest that on several counts, not the least of which being that I care enough to pay her to put her art on my wine; we may be dating, but I'm not a _heathen_ , her work is valuable and I'm gonna pay her for it." He raised an eyebrow. "Paying someone for their work is generally the exact _opposite_ of using them."

"Yeah, and now that you've got it you're gonna leave. Don't lie to me."

"I don't lie. You don't know me, so I won't hold it against you this time; but don't call me a liar again. I'm _not_." There was a brief pause. "..Not anymore."

"You won't hold it against me? Not _anymore?_ Leah, listen to this guy!"

"I have _ears_ , Kel; and besides, I _know_ all this already. He's my _boyfriend_ , of _course_ he's told me."

"Oh yeah? What was it you lied about then? Huh?"

"I was a real rat bastard, until pretty recently—about five years ago. I turned over a new leaf, then I moved here. I cheated on a lot of women in high school, and was generally a philandering bastard in college. Using people was my default setting. The truth was unimportant; I said what needed to be said to get what I wanted. Sure, it was rooted in a ton of childhood trauma, but that didn't make it _okay_ , and it didn't make it not my fault."

"You _knew_ about all this, Leah?!"

"He's told me before. Before we even got together, actually."

Kel was stunned. "Wha—then why are you _dating_ this guy?"

"Because he _told_ me." She crossed her arms. "He told me upfront that he used to be awful, and that he wanted to be better, and that I should keep an eye on him. Does that sound like someone who's trying to deceive me? Why would he tell me to be suspicious if he was trying to pull something? And besides; you were _awful_ to me! You have no room to talk!"

Kel took a step forward with a snarl. "Don't you dare talk to me like that, _Leah_!"

Kaleb was very still. "You keep your distance, hear?"

"Oh yeah? Or what, you gonna hit me?"

"If I have to. No one threatens my loved ones. Friends, family, significant other; doesn't matter. You threaten them, you better be ready for _me_."

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Kel scoffed.

"Kaleb, don't, she's not worth it."

"I know, hon; I just don't lie, and I'm not about surprise attacks. It's important for my own peace of mind that she knows what I'm prepared to do if it comes down to it. It'll _have_ to come down to it, but I don't want her to be surprised by what happens if she takes things that far. I don't fuck around. But don't worry, I won't do anything unless she makes me."

"Thank you."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Get over here, Leah!"

"Go to hell! I told you, I'm done playing your games!"

"Do I look like I'm playing?"

"You kinda look like you're getting played, honestly." Kaleb shot her an unimpressed look. "Just go, alright? We have nothing productive to talk about, and you kinda interrupted us having a moment, and I was really enjoying that."

"Alright, that's it." Kel stalked forwards, and Kaleb rose smoothly, still not moving.

"Don't do this," he warned.

"You can't stop me, pretty boy."

"Aw, thanks for noticing. Now back off. I don't wanna hurt you—okay, that's not true, but _Leah_ doesn't want me to hurt you, and that's more important to me."

Kel grabbed him by the collar. "Eat shit," she snarled.

And then she punched him in the face.

There was a lull, Kel still holding onto his collar.

"Ow." His tone was flat. "Are we done? You get this outta your system?"

"What the fuck?!"

"I told you, you're not a threat to me, I don't _care_ ; you wanna punch me? Go ahead, for all the good it'll do ya. But if you try to raise a hand against _Leah_.. I will not allow that."

Kel reared back again, but much to Kaleb's surprise, _Leah's_ fist caught her across the face, and she staggered back. "Oh, you _bitch_!"

"Yeah? That's what you _really_ think, isn't it? You _never_ loved me, you wanted to _possess_ me!"

"I know that auction wasn't about the art, I heard about the winery stunt." Kel wiped the blood from her nose with a wince. "We both know you're a little girl with a pipe dream."

"And so what if I am?!" Leah shouted back, clenching her fists. "You don't get to decide what I do with my life! So what if I am being immature, or selfish, or reckless? It's _my_ life! And I'm gonna live it the way _I_ want to!"

"Tch." Kel glared at them. "Mark my words, you'll regret this."

"Yeah, yeah, now go on, get." Kaleb shooed her away.

"Don't tell me what to do, you bastard."

"Did I somehow miss the part where I said I cared about what you want me to do?"

"When this fucker cheats on you, don't come crying to me."

"How _dare_ you?!" Leah roared. "You have a lot of nerve, coming here and trying to tell me that I'd somehow be _better off_ with you! He's not a liar! Maybe he's impulsive, and a bit of jerk on a bad day, but he _cares_ about me, and what _I_ want, Kel! That's more than you _ever_ did for me."

"We'll see how much he cares in a few seasons."

"Alright, I've had enough. Leave. _Now_."

"Or what? Huh? You gonna hit me?"

"Depends on how much Leah's willing to put up with. If it were just you and me you'd be on the ground already, because I've heard the stories of how you treated her. And I am _not pleased_. So you should really be asking _her_ , because by all rights your ass is as kicked as she wants it to be."

"I think you're just trying to act all tough."

"I've fought way worse things than you; hell, I've killed skeletons, void spirits, mummies, you name it. Humans are not a threat anymore."

"You fuckin' showboating prick, you don't have the guts to kill me."

"False, but again, I really doubt it'll come to that. Plus I don't want her to have to see that."

"Yeah, please no, Kaleb; I know you mean well but that's.. really horrifying, that you would just kill someone if I asked."

"Yeah, I know.. Sorry, Leah. To be fair though, it's really just her, since I know what she did to you."

"That makes me feel only marginally better."

"That's fair. Can I at least nail her with my slingshot?"

" _No_ , I know what that thing can do, Kaleb, you cannot break anything."

"Alright, alright. I'm just gonna sit back down so I have another step between me and impulse-murder." He did so. "You can handle yourself anyway."

"All that talk, and you're just gonna back down?"

"I ain't ashamed to back down to my girlfriend; especially if she's right. I sure as hell didn't back down because of _you_ , miss bloody nose."

"Kel, just _leave_ , okay? I do _not_ want to let you two fight, but there's a point after which I can no longer protect you from your own stupidity."

"I'm not leaving unless you're coming with me."

" _Ugh_ ," Leah groaned. "Are you _really_ going to do this?"

"Just because _you_ won't see reason doesn't make me the bad guy!"

Kaleb snorted. "You are absolutely the bad guy, but whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess."

"And _you're_ any better?"

"No, I'm _not_ , jackass, and being honest about that's my whole _thing_." He jabbed a finger into his own chest. " _I_ don't lie about the awful shit I did, and I ain't pretending that my borderline-murderous loyalty is a virtue! I'm fully prepared to admit that I want to see you suffer for what you did to her, and that I'm a bad person for wanting that! Maybe not bad through and through, but it sure as fuck isn't _good_."

Kel was quiet a moment. "Leah, you need to get away from this guy; he's _dangerous_."

"Yeah, he is. But not to me. I trust him."

"He's going to betray you. Guys like him don't change. They just become whatever the girl of the week wants them to be. I bet his last girl was the same way you are; dumb and naive."

There was a thunderous silence.

Kaleb stood up slowly. " _Run_. You have five seconds. This isn't about Leah anymore. It's personal now."

"Oh, what, mad that I insulted your last little fling?"

"Five."

"Kaleb, don't." Leah looked nervously between the two.

"Four." His eyes flicked over to Leah, expression unchanging. "I'm sorry, Leah. You can dump me if you want, I'll understand. But this is one of the few things I will _not_ allow to stand."

Kel's eyes widened. "He's not—he's not gonna—"

"Kel, for the love of god, _run!_ He is _actually_ going to hurt you; I may hate you, but I don't want you _dead!_ " Leah cried.

"Three." Kaleb's lip curled up in a snarl, and he reached down, pulling a dagger out of his pack.

"Oh _Jesus_!" Kel turned and sprinted away.

" _Two!_ " He shouted after her.

She kept running, disappearing into the treeline.

" _ONE!_ "

She was gone.

Kaleb was stock still for a few seconds, jaw clenched; then he sighed and tossed the dagger on the ground off to the side. He sat down heavily with a thump, and hung his head between his knees. "..I'm sorry. Both that I'm like this, and that you had to see it."

"Kaleb, what was _that_?"

"..You know how I feel about people suggesting I'm still a bad person, but to imply that me wronging her was somehow _her fault_? She's one of the smartest people I know, like, _Maru_ smart, and she's a good person who wants to see the best in people; that doesn't make her _naïve_. That's.. a sore point, and Kel also said the same thing about you at the same time, and I just.." He sighed. "I've mentioned here and there that there's a part of me I'm not proud of, and that isn't a good person.. _that_ was that part of me."

"I.." Leah was staring at him in shock; but it was steadily turning to caution, with a hint of fear.

"I.. I've really loved being with you, Leah. All I can ask is that you live and be well, and remember me for who I was in your mind before.. _this_ happened."

"..would you have really killed her?"

"I.. I don't know. I definitely would have stabbed her, but I don't know if I would have followed up. But.. considering how scared I am now, now that the consequences are starting to sink in, of what I just _threw away_ for petty revenge.. and how despite that, in that moment I couldn't think of anything but?" He sighed. "..Probably. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I'm not going to lie to you."

He was quiet for a long moment before he continued. "..not even now. No matter how much I want to."

"..will you make me a promise?"

He looked cautiously at her. "..it depends, I don't want to make any promises I can't keep."

"Promise me you'll _never_ do that again; abandon violence as a solution. For good."

"Like, even if I'm being threatened?"

" _Kaleb_." Her shoulders sagged, tone distressed.

He turned to face her, shaking his head. "No, seriously, I'm asking for real."

"I.. if you will literally die, then okay, but otherwise no."

"..Can it be if I or my loved ones will literally die?"

"I'll.. alright."

He nodded. "Then I promise. I swear I will never resort to violence unless I or the people I hold dear are in imminent mortal peril."

"..this feels dumb, but will you swear on it three times? I know you take that sort of superstition seriously."

"On my life, I swear this to be true. On my soul, I swear this to be true. On everything I hold dear, I swear this to be true." He dug his slingshot out of his pack, and stood up to retrieve the dagger. He held them out to her. "Give these to Abigail. She goes into the mines sometimes, she can use them. I don't need them anymore, and I want you to know I didn't just hide them somewhere. We can handle my old sword when you feel up to it."

"..Then let's go."

"Alright."

They packed up in silence, and walked to the farm. When they arrived Leah followed him into his bedroom, and watched as he took out a fairly plain metal case from under his bed. He flipped the latches, opening the lid to reveal a strange, midnight purple sword, nestled in what was clearly a custom-made inlay. He lifted it out reverently by the handle, laid the flat of the blade on his upturned palm, and held it out to Leah. "Here."

"What _is_ that?"

"It's called the Galaxy Sword. I don't even know what it's _made_ of. I solved an old dwarven riddle to figure out how to get it; I transmuted it from a prismatic shard in the Calico Desert, but it's clearly not made of that. Never dulls, stronger than iridium, but light as aluminum. Only one of its kind." She reached out slowly, hesitating. He held it out a little farther, and she took it. He let his hands drop, taking a half step back. "I'd say tell her to take care of it, but I've yet to need to do any sort of maintenance on it whatsoever, so.."

"I.. had no idea you even _had_ something like this."

"Like I said, I kinda just stopped adventuring once we got together. You're more important." He snorted, closing his eyes and shaking his head sadly. "For as much as that's worth now. I promise I'll be better. Thanks, Leah. You've been good to me.. better than I've deserved. Maybe.. Maybe I'll see you around sometime. You know you're always welcome here."

He turned away. "Wait." He stopped. "Kaleb, what are.. are you leaving _me_?"

He looked back at her, confused. "Huh?"

"Kaleb, I asked you to make me that promise to prove that you really did feel as strongly as you sounded when you said 'what you threw away'."

"Leah, are.. are you saying that I.. that _we_..?"

"If you break that promise, I am _never_ speaking to you again. We will be _through_. But.. yes. I love you, Kaleb. That was _really_ fucked up, yeah, but you've never lied to me; I knew as soon as Kel said that it would set you off, you've told me about your friend before.. I had just hoped I could talk you down. But if you're willing to swear three times and just _give away_ a sword that—apparently—is the only one of its kind in the entire _world_ , that's made of some mystical super-metal? I'm willing to believe you mean it when you say you will never do it again. Because Kel's wrong; people _can_ change."

" _Leah_." He laughed, even as tears began to run down his face. "I don't understand.. I don't deserve this, you should be _terrified_ ; but I'll be yours as long as you'll have me."

"I'm.. not going to lie, I kind of am terrified. But.. I also don't want to lose you, and this is the first I've ever seen of this. I'm going to need some time to process what just happened, but.. yeah. I'll have you for as long as you keep your promise."

"Take your time, I'll be right here. Should I expect you back today, or in a few days?"

"Today, but if I'm not ready I'll only be stopping by to let you know."

"Alright. I'll have dinner ready; I'll make something that has leftovers built-in so if you don't want to stay you don't have to feel bad, or you could take your portion with you."

"..thanks, Kaleb."

"I think it kinda goes without saying by now, but.. Anything for you. For real, now. I promised."

"And I'll hold you to it."

* * *

Abigail stared at the sword. "He's _giving_ me this? What—is he _okay_? What _happened_?! This is his most _prized_ possession, except for _maybe_ a few sentimental things from his past."

"He, uh.. almost killed my ex, because she implied his last girlfriend was naïve and stupid and that he had betrayed her, and that it was her fault _because_ she was naïve and stupid; and also that he was _going_ to betray me, and.. it was terrifying, Abigail, she was literally _seconds_ away from him chasing her down with a dagger. But I could see the fear in his eyes, after, and hear it in his voice when he said something about 'what he'd thrown away for petty revenge'."

"But that doesn't explain why he would give me this; and why did he send _you_?"

"..I.. asked him to promise me to be done with violence for good, and he agreed, provided it was okay to defend himself and his loved ones in like, mortal danger, and then he handed me his dagger and slingshot, and told me to give them to you, since he didn't need them anymore. Then he gave me the sword; and he sent me because he wanted me to be sure he hadn't just hidden them."

"..Wow." Abigail took the sword. "That's.. not to be preachy, but.. you understand what this means to him, right?"

Leah furrowed her brow, tilting her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Adventuring is in his _blood_. He _lives_ for it. That burning need to know what's out there, to see the unseen, to learn things no one has ever known before. I feel that way too, which is why I know; we've talked about it. For him to just.. give that up, wholesale like this.. that'd be like you giving up sculpting, and only doing painting from now on, or vice versa. He's decided to discard an entire piece of who he _is_ , rather than lose you."

Leah's eyes were wide. "..I had no idea; he never talked about it, and he said he stopped going because he didn't want me to worry."

"Leah, I know you had no way to know, so I'm not upset or anything, but there's not a doubt in my mind that boy would _die_ for you, and, well.. you'd be a fool to let him slip away. You already know how I feel about him, and Maru and Emily too."

"Even though he was going to kill someone?"

"Didn't she fuck you up _real_ bad?"

"..Yeah?"

" _You_ , the girl he's apparently willing to give up a part of his life for? I'm surprised he didn't deck her on _sight_."

"..oh. I hadn't accounted for how little he valued her existence, just that he was angry enough to murder someone."

"Don't get me wrong, that's still _super_ fucked up; but yeah, I don't think she was a person, in his mind, not the way he would think of anyone else. She was the enemy— _your_ enemy, which meant she was his. So.. yeah, it's unsettling, but I'm not exactly a levelheaded person myself at times. If you decide things are over.. I'll be taking your place, if I can. Just.. from one friend to another, I wanted to tell you where I stood."

"He said he'd be mine as long as I'd have him, and I told him that as long as he kept his promise, he could be."

"Then you might wanna talk to Emily about a wedding dress, because if he's willing to give me _this_?" She held up the sword. "He will sooner _die_ than break that promise."

"I think it's going to take some time for me to process everything that happened, but.. yeah. Once I do.. I think marrying him sounds.. really nice."

"Well, don't wait _too_ long."

"Huh? Why?"

Abigail shrugged. "Just a gut feeling. I couldn't tell you why."

"Oookay." Leah nodded. "Thanks, for telling me all that. I'm gonna go; he said he was going to have dinner ready; oh, here." She took out the dagger and the slingshot as well, handing them over.

"Have a good night, Leah."

"You too."

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and Kaleb furrowed his brow. Who was knocking? It wasn't Leah, she didn't need to knock—though he supposed that may have changed, considering..

Sure enough, it was her. "Hey." She waved awkwardly. "Can I come in?"

He laughed once. "Yeah, of course you can. You're not the one who fucked up, I still love you just as much as I did before; probably more, since I still can't believe you're giving me a chance after that."

She came inside, taking off her shoes and curling up on the couch as he went back to the kitchen. "..Abigail told me about what the sword meant to you. About what _adventuring_ meant to you."

His expression was carefully neutral, not looking up from what he was doing at the stove, and it was strange to see on him; she hadn't seen it since they had first met, practically. "Yeah?"

"You're making the mask face."

He winced, finally turning to face her. "Sorry. Old habits. I just.. I really can't overstate how much I care about you, Leah. About making this work. So I just.. I'm scared, because Abigail knows me, and I know you know that, so I know you believe her; which you should, since I never lied to her either, but.." He sighed. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"Her point was actually that if you just _gave up_ adventuring for me.. well, I think her exact words were 'you'd be a fool to let him slip away.'"

"Did she really say that?" He looked like he was surprised, almost.

"Yeah. Said you giving up adventuring would be like me giving up sculpting, or painting."

"I mean, I don't know if I'd go _that_ far."

"I think I would. Kaleb, I didn't know it, but I had been taking that for granted. It doesn't make today any less scary, but it does mean that I trust you to keep your word, because you've already been doing so for the most part. So.. don't worry about me leaving you, okay? No mask faces, no walking on eggshells. I just want my lovable dork."

"I'll try, I promise. I just have a lot of baggage, and it makes it hard to believe someone could love me the way you seem to. When I was a kid.. favor was conditional. It was easy to fall out of adults' good graces as the 'poorly behaved' kid. I got real used to 'love' being present only for as long as I continued to be what they expected of me. It's why I learned to hide, to make sure no one could see the real me, and eventually.. _I_ couldn't see it anymore, either. And then I became a monster, in a way. Because I could be _anything_ , anyone I needed to be, and I hardly needed a justification, it was just how things _were_." He sighed again. "Sorry, but you know all this, it's only like, the millionth time I've told you."

"If you need to say it that many times, it needs to be said. Aren't _you_ always the one telling _me_ it's not 'needy' to know your emotions?"

He chuckled. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Leah."

"Of course." She smiled.

* * *

"It's almost the new year; are you excited?"

"I'm sleepy, I'll be honest, seasonal affective depressive disorder is the _worrrrst_."

Leah snorted. "You big baby. You're like, what, twenty-eight?"

"That's almost thirty, I can be tired if I want." He frowned petulantly.

"Only a few more minutes, hon."

"I know. I'm just whining."

"I know, Kaleb. But I love you anyway."

"I love you too, Flower Child."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching the TV as the countdown approached zero. Leah looked over at him. "Kiss me."

He smiled, pulling her in to press their lips together.

The voices on the TV called out the final moments. "..One! Zero!"

And just like the others before her.. Leah started awake in her bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh the irony of Kaleb's advice to Elliot..
> 
> Kaleb: "No movement towards a resolution", "trapped in an episodic format"  
> Me: *sweating nervously while looking at this series*


End file.
